Thumbnail Cache Problem of PS CC 19

[k_o_f41923967]

Our company use Photoshop CC to retouch the customers photo and some sensitive information such as id card copy, bank and credit card information.

Due to the privacy policy of our company, we don't want PS to automatically cache everything after it opened. We've tried setting Performance->Cache Levels to 1, but not success. It always return back to the value 2 after PS restarted.

Then we set the File Handling->Recent File List Contains to 0 files. This hide the cache that PS created and nothing shown on the first page when PS started. However, when we changed this value back to 20, we discovered that all the opened file doesn’t shown on the first page were appeared again even if the image files have been deleted. It seems that PS creates the thumbnail cache without our knowledge and we cannot take control with it.

We already know that we can delete the whole recent file list from the menu, but if our staff forget to delete it, the next staff who use PS can view all these sensitive information which we don’t want to happen.

So we would like to know is there any way to force PS not to cache anything?

Also, where is the location of these cached photo and thumbnail saved and how to delete these file manually?

[Guest]

目前，没有较好解决该问题的方法。1.你可以在首选项里关闭开始菜单，方法：编辑，首选项，常规。关闭即可。

2.更为安全/有效的方法是直接将开始菜单删除掉。方法：C:\Program Files\Adobe\Adobe Photoshop CC 2018\Required\CEP\extensions里面的com.adobe.ccx.start文件夹删除就可以了。

[k_o_f41923967]

Thanks for the reply. Unfortunately, both option did not solve the problem. The first option we already tried, and we can confirmed that if the setting was re-enabled again, all the cached image will recover and appear again even if they had been deleted from disk. The second option cause PS display black screen and no response on start up until we recover the com.adobe.ccx.start folder.

The main concern of our company is the new version of PS CC 2018 seems to cache the image somewhere without our knowledge and we cannot take any control of it. Even if we try to delete these cache, PS just hide them from us. These hidden contents are still accessible and recover by Adobe's software because Adobe known where it is, but the user cannot. This cause a great privacy problem if Adobe use these information without user's knowledge.

[gener7]

Look under "File Handling" in Preferences. Image Previews.

[k_o_f41923967]

The option is already set to 'Never Save', but it still save the thumbnail in background. It seems this has no effect.

If the value of 'Recent File List Contains' change from 0 to 20, all the thumbnails will automatically appear on the first page of PS next time even if these images are deleted from disk.

[gener7]

This is a tough problem. As you can see the thumbnails are internal and not user changeable.

This next idea assumes no one can open your files. Maybe you would keep them on an external drive that you disconnect when you finish.

The trick would be to make the layers in your file invisible by clicking off the eyeball.

The information is still there, but will show as a blank thumbnail after you save out.

Save in a format that supports layers, psd, tiff or psb. Never png or jpeg.

Then whether it is the MacOS Finder, Windows Explorer, or the Photoshop Start screen, only a white thumbnail is visible.

Let me know what you think. The idea may need some fine tuning.

[k_o_f41923967]

Thanks for the suggestion. We need to convert these images to jpg format before import them to the encrypted DB. Unfortunately, the application used to read these encrypted images only support jpg, png or bmp, but not psd, tiff. All the original copy will be secure erased after import to DB. We’ve finish our job to comply the privacy policy. The only problem is PS still keep these cache make our job difficult to complete. Even if these image were saved to layered format, this is not a reliable method to protect user’s privacy. Our staffs who can access the hard drive can copy these content and use some hacks to recover them later.

[gener7]

The problem is you want to keep your edited files out of the Thumbnail history.

The answer is Export. An exported file will not show up in Recent Files.

So you finish your edits, but before you make the layers invisible, you use File > Export > Quick Export as JPG.

Then you are ask to choose a location. Make a new Folder and label it Confidential Images. You PSD will be flattened and saved as a Jpeg in that folder. You will make sure that in order to examine them, you use a separate jpeg viewer. Not Photoshop, not Bridge.

In fact to prevent an accidental open in Photoshop, have your jpegs associated with another utility or ediitor.

Do not close the PSD until you make the layers invisible so as to have a blank thumbnail written as you save out.

When you have done that and have inspected and encrypted the Jpegs, you can delete your PSDs. Any PSDs you intend to delete should be all be kept in one folder titled, "Final Edits".

This may need fine tuning, like adding "done" to the filename of your saved, but blank PSDs to keep track.

So let's try that. You should see blank PSDs, but not your Exported Jpegs in Recent files.

Gene

[k_o_f41923967 · Accepted solution]

Thanks for the reply. We've sort out this problem. We found that these cache are stored in the file "C:\Users\UserName\AppData\Roaming\Adobe\Adobe Photoshop CC 2018\Adobe Photoshop CC 2018 Settings\MachinePrefs.psp". All thumbnails are packed in this file. Each thumbnail size is about 5-7kb. By delete the whole recent file list from the menu, the thumbnails have been removed from this file. Just wipe this file is also ok to clear these thumbnails.